In high school, summer projects (especially for advanced placement classes) are assignments that students must complete. There is no way to get out from completing those assignments. Teachers create most of these summer projects because they know exactly what the students should learn before they reach the first class of the year. For example, AP Language and Composition has the students create 15 precis on different nonfiction pieces and read the book

Thank You for Arguing in order to prepare for some of the essays that will be written for the exam. Although many people believe that teachers should create these summer projects because the students would know exactly what they need to learn or prepare for, nevertheless, students should be the ones creating the summer projects because it gives them a chance to show their creativity, use their skills from prior knowledge, and build on life skills needed for the future.

Giving the students the ability to use their creativity is very important because it lets their voices and thoughts be heard. Students usually have more time over the summer to be able to express their creativity, but that is being pulled back due to the same projects that teachers have them do every year. For example, most high school math classes provide students with a four to six page study guide to complete over the summer to make sure that their prior knowledge is still remembered. What if students created their own, unique study guides to complete? How about a presentation on the basics of a unit and sharing it with the class the first or second day back? Not only would the students be able to use their creativity in a project and express their knowledge in many different ways, students in the first class would have a great review of prior knowledge to prepare them for the challenge ahead. Giving students an assignment that they create also makes them more interested and determined to complete their project. Most students would rather show what they learned their own way than the same way as everyone else, and a lot of teacher-designed assignments have the students all doing the same thing. It might be easier for the teacher to grade or review, but students aren't enjoying the assignment because they aren't able to express their knowledge that is different from everyone else. Letting the students create their own projects will give them the opportunity to be creative and express their ideas. Additionally, students will continue to use or remember the skills and knowledge prior to help them create their projects.

The biggest reason why these summer projects are created is so that students wouldn't lose the skills and knowledge from previous years that are need for their upcoming classes. If the students created their own summer projects, they would not lose those skills or knowledge at all. More than likely, they would research more about certain skills or information in order to make their projects even better and stand out from their peers. Subjects such as science and english are definitely able to make this happen because the skills and techniques that are learned can always be worked on, and they are easier for students to share what they know about certain topics. For example, AP chemistry has everyone doing the same assignment before the school year starts. Students in AP Chemistry, instead, could create their own experiments with the skills and knowledge acquired from Research Chemistry. The students would not only keep the techniques/skills practiced and knowledge from the year before, but also have the opportunity to explore different skills or use the skills obtained at a more advanced level. Even though students wouldn't lose the skills and knowledge learned from previous classes, they would also learn and build on some others skills such as life skills.

Student-designed projects would build on skills that students need for the future. Teachers help them practice life skills with these projects as they could be long and tedious. However, students should have opportunities to build these skills themselves to prepare them for the upcoming school year and their future in general. Students who would work really hard on their own summer projects build their organizational skills as they plan out their assignments. Time management is another skill that is taken into these projects. Practicing time management prepares them for college and their future careers as deadlines can't be rearranged, and some tasks take more time than others. They would be able to schedule how much time in a day they can work on their summer assignments. Students who create their own projects also practice focusing and perseverance. There will be times where the project comes to a stand still in progress; practicing focus and perseverance encourages students to not give up on their projects and to make it the best it can be. In conclusion, students will prepare themselves for future tasks such as college projects and career projects when they create their own summer projects in high school.

So, what is the point on arguing about whether students or teachers should create the summer projects? These projects set up the students for what is coming in the following school year. The knowledge and skills used in previous classes are still needed for the upcoming classes. However, when students are able to be creative and make their own projects, those skills and knowledge would never leave them. In fact, teachers would be amazed at how advanced the skills of their students are because the students were actually interested in learning more to create an amazing summer project.